Nick Saban has been a full-time head football coach since 1995 and, even at the top of the profession, that is a massive sample size that will lead to some heartbreak along the way. The Alabama Crimson Tide are the gold standard in college football today but that didn't stop Saban from reflecting on three games that he will never be able to forget during his tenure as a coach.
Chris Low of ESPN brings word from Saban on the trio of defeats he can't get over:
"I'll never get over it because you never do with those kind of losses. I never got over the returned field goal at Auburn. I never got over playing poorly against Ohio State and losing that game late. And then in this game, we didn't play very well, and Clemson did when they had to. That's what eats at you. We didn't play that great against Washington, either (in a 24-7 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win) in the semifinal."
Obviously, last season's crushing loss to Clemson made the cut and the "kick six" game against Auburn is the stuff of legend. However, some will undoubtedly be surprised at the inclusion of the Sugar Bowl following the 2014 season, when top-ranked Alabama lost to Urban Meyer and Ohio State by a 42-35 margin.
With a record of 119-19 as the head coach of the Crimson Tide, things have gone well for Nick Saban but not even he and Alabama are perfect.